Inscribed stele
Unknown Artist
7th–9th century
Medium
Limestone; incised
Dimensions
H. 11 7/16 in. (29 cm) W. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm) D. 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm)
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of The Egyptian Research Account and British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1908
Accession Number
08.205.10d
Art Historical Context
This inscribed stele, carved from limestone in the 7th–9th century, stands as a poignant artifact from early Islamic Egypt. Measuring just 11½ inches tall, it exemplifies compact yet monumental stone sculpture, likely serving as a gravestone or marker. The incised inscriptions—precisely carved lines etched into the surface—would have conveyed religious texts, epitaphs, or invocations, reflecting the era's burgeoning Islamic epigraphy during the Umayyad and early Abbasid periods. Artistically, the technique of incising allowed for durable, legible script on a portable scale, highlighting the s...